1st Peter 2:13-25 • For you have been called for this purpose
► 1st Peter is focused primarily on encouraging believers in a time of intense persecution.
• He encourages the believers to live well, love one another, leave behind all the negativity, and to become “living stones” as a part of God’s “spiritual house”.
• He also reminds them in 1st Peter 2:11 that they are “aliens and strangers”
• The current leader of the Roman Empire is Nero, and we all know what a whack-job he was.
Honor Authority
1st Peter 2:13-20 → 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
► "Submit". I am fully aware that this word, in modern-day America, is not very popular.
• The concept of willingly putting yourself under the authority of another person is totally contrary to more popular concepts relating to self-reliance and an "I can do whatever I want" mindset.
• For a Christian, submitting to Christ seems normal. But the idea of submitting to "every human institution", and in the context of this verse, to human government, seems pretty hard to swallow.
• There have been so many times throughout history when the current government of the time was totally adverse to Christian belief.
→ The current leader is Nero. He was not a good person. In fact, he was horrible toward Christians, even if it seems that his main motivation for singling them out was to cover his own nefarious plans of rebuilding Rome into his dream city.
15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
► We will continually see throughout this letter Peter's instruction to live in a way, even in the time of persecution, that brings honor to Jesus.
• Peter appeals to us, specifically both with the freedom we have in Christ, and also with our enhanced understanding, to choose to use these gifts to serve God, and not ourselves.
• He also reminds us that in our relationships with those around us that we be honoring, whether they have earned it or not, to be loving and caring for others, and to be respectful towards God.
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
► Slavery, which is being mentioned here, while not being specifically forbidden in Scripture, does not allow those in caught in it to be disrespectful toward their masters.
• Masters, in Biblical times, were instructed to not be cruel to their slaves, but to be caring for them as if they were their children.
• Obviously, in later history, especially as it had been experienced in early American history, was as horrible as it ever could be, and fortunately we would see slavery eventually abolished, in any form.
• That being said, today we routinely apply this verse in the setting of the workplace.
• Bosses rather than masters; employees rather than slaves.
• And the principles are the same - we are to be submissive to those over us in our work environments, being respectful, even if our boss is not the nicest person to be around.
19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
► Somehow, it works to our benefit to endure any suffering we might experience, when we are doing the right thing.
• And it is also kind of silly to think we should receive any benefit if we are enduring suffering that we deserve for our bad behavior.
Christ is Our Example
1st Peter 2:21-25 → 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
► Christ set the example for us.
• We might face persecution, as He did.
• But if we do, we are not supposed to retaliate - we are supposed to endure.
• Jesus endured all that was done to Him for our benefit, that through His suffering and death, we might receive life.
• And now we are called to follow Him.
So what?
► By God's grace, we have a living hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and an imperishable inheritance in heaven, therefore...
1 → Live in such a way that God's grace is evident in your conduct, so that you will glorify God, and be a witness to unbelievers.
2 → Submit to human authority, even when it is unjust.
3 → Only disobey that authority when it forces you to oppose God's will.
4 → As servants of the living God, honor all people.
5 → Face unjust suffering with grace, not retaliation.
6 → Follow Christ's example of enduring suffering graciously, by entrusting ourselves to the One who judges justly.
Photo • 2026/08/10 - Hiking at Oxley Nature Center, Tulsa, OK
Thanks to Jay Spikes, one of the co-teachers in our Sunday School class, for providing some of the thoughts I've included in this post.
“Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org”
All linked verses are from the YouVersion at www.Bible.com
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